How to Share the Gospel with Your Friend, Coworker, Neighbor, or Family Member

If you are like me, I have often complicated sharing the Gospel message for salvation to others. Not wanting to say the wrong thing or present Jesus as someone or something different than who He was, I have fumbled around in my description at times. Possibly, you find yourself there as well. This time of year when we celebrate Christmas provides many opportunities to talk with others about Jesus. Therefore, today, I want to explain how to share the Gospel with your friend, coworker, neighbor, or family member.

No doubt, none of us want to present a Savior who is less than the Lord Jesus Christ who came to take away the sins of the world. You have possibly heard the same horror stories as I of those who presented Jesus as simply a friend who wants to be your friend, a companion who will be with you always, or a ticket to see your loved ones in heaven. Of course, Jesus is a friend, a faithful companion, and guarantees heaven. However, those three reasons are not the heart of the motivation to turn to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

As well, I fear that somehow I would do something to give someone a false assurance of salvation or a relationship with Jesus. How horrific to think that someone would interact with us, listen to what we have to say, follow our guidance, and then walk away not understanding the Gospel. But, if we are not careful, they could.

Therefore, I want to explain how to share the Gospel with another person.

 

Let’s Start with Jesus

While on earth, Jesus often discussed faith and the possibility of going to heaven often. When you look at the preponderance of times He discusses it, He often pointed people to one main issue, and at times, two.

1. Belief.
   Jesus made it clear that the individual wanting to follow Him, be His disciple, or have eternal life must believe Him. Believe that the Father sent Him, believe that He can offer eternal life, or simply put, believe Him and in Him. Notice what He says to Nicodemus.
   And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:14-18)

   Jesus points to belief. If you believe, you will have eternal life. If you do not believe, you will be condemned for not believing, and will face eternal condemnation.

2. Repentance.
   Jesus also called people to repentance. Repentance basically means to experience a change of the mind’s perceptions, dispositions, and purposes. In relationship to following Jesus, it means that we replace or change or turn from all our God-dishonoring, Christ-belittling perceptions, dispositions, and purposes with God-treasuring, Christ-exalting ones.[1] You turn from wanting to live for yourself alone and instead live for God by following Jesus. You recognize that you now can and should love God because He first loved us by sending Jesus to earth to rescue us from a deserved penalty in hell. Notice what Jesus says about repentance.

   Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. (Luke 24:46-49)

   …unless you repent you will all likewise perish. (Luke 13:3 and 5)

    I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. (Luke 5:32)

   In some ways, belief and repentance are very similar. You choose to believe what Jesus says about Himself in the Bible. When you do, you change your mind and heart toward God, truth, sin, and living.

 

What about Peter and the First Christians in Acts?

Therefore, Jesus explained salvation in terms of belief and repentance. How do the disciples describe it in Acts? We immediately hear Peter proclaiming the Gospel. Peter said:

But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.” (Acts 3:18-25)

We see several key themes in these verses from Peter that match what Jesus said.

• Believe what the Old Testament prophets said about Jesus and how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy.
• Repent of your sins so that they will be blotted out – or forgiven.

Peter also explained it again to a similar crowd during the same story of the lame man being healed. He explained:

“Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:8-12)

In this explanation, Peter describes the Gospel in similar ways. Notice Peter describes that Jesus died, was resurrected, fulfills Old Testament prophecy, and is the only name by which any person can be saved.

 

How do you share the Gospel then?

If we use Jesus and Peter as our earliest examples (and which is consistent with the Apostle Paul later), the Bible teaches a simple pattern for sharing the Gospel.

1. Believe in what the Bible says about Jesus. He came to earth as prophesied in the Old Testament, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, was resurrected the third day, and then ascended to heaven where He now lives. Believe that Jesus is the One prophesied in the Old Testament Who would come to rescue mankind, where He became the God’s wrath-bearing substitute for each of us.
2. Repent of your own sins and sinfulness. Each individual must turn away from depending upon self and turn to God. Recognize your own sinfulness and desire for independence from God. Ask forgiveness for sins. Then, turn to God in respect and honor. Desire to live life God’s way; rather than living life your own way.

There is no magical prayer to pray. The idea is to call upon God to save you based upon the person and work of Jesus Christ. Or, as Peter said, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

 

I hope this is helpful for you as you consider how you will share the Gospel with others this Christmas season.

• Believe that Jesus died on the cross as our sinless substitute taking on God’s wrath for the sins of mankind, was resurrected the third day demonstrating God accepted the payment for sin, and then ascended back to heaven where He sits now on the throne of God;
• Repent of your sins and sinfulness, recognizing God as the One you desire to follow;
• Pray for forgiveness of your sins in the name of Jesus Christ.